雙語(yǔ)智慧書·行善不求大，但要常去做

255．行善不求大，但要常去做
　　行善不求大，但要常去做。你的付出，不能超出對(duì)方能回報(bào)你的能力。恩惠太多，就不是贈(zèng)予，而是出售。不要耗盡他人的感激--受惠者見到無(wú)法回報(bào)你，就不會(huì)再接近你。對(duì)于許多人來(lái)說(shuō)，對(duì)他們施惠太多，使他們無(wú)法承受，就會(huì)徹底失去他們：他們無(wú)法回報(bào)，就只能離去，寧愿做你的敵人，也不愿做你永遠(yuǎn)的欠債人。正如雕像不愿意再見到雕刻師一樣，受惠之人也不想再見到施惠之人。施惠之術(shù)，十分玄妙，你贈(zèng)予的東西不貴，但為對(duì)方所急需，才能更被珍視。


255．Do good a little at a time, but often
　Do good a little at a time, but often. One should never give beyond the possibility of return. He who gives much does not give but sells. Nor drain gratitude to the dregs, for when the recipient sees all return is impossible he breaks off correspondence. With many persons it is not necessary to do more than overburden them with favours to lose them altogether: they cannot repay you, and so they retire, preferring rather to be enemies than perpetual debtors. The idol never wishes to see before him the sculptor who shaped him, nor does the benefited wish to see his benefactor always before his eyes. There is a great subtlety in giving what costs little yet is much desired, so that it is esteemed the more.